WESTMORLAND - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Administration
- Alison Thomson VN Administration
Alison qualified as a veterinary nurse some 20 years ago and started working at the Kirkby Lonsdale branch of Westmorland Veterinary Group in 2005, initially as a nurse but you are now more likely to see her behind the reception desk, although still gets involved with the nursing work on occasions or can be found in the kennels having cuddles with the inpatients.
Outside work Alison's main interests are her four border collies, hence she is often referred to as 'the lady with all the collies'! Alison helps to run training classes at Lune Valley Dog Training Club and takes classes every Wednesday evening and organises 3 shows a year. Alison competes regularly with her dogs in Competition Obedience at Championship level and will often spend her summer weekends away in the caravan at shows. She has achieved some great successes but her ultimate ambition is to get to Crufts. Alison also has a cat. Her other interests include fell walking (with the dogs of course!), photography and eating out. Being on reception always gives her an excuse for cuddles with pets, puppies being her favourite and she has a reputation for leading the dogs astray by letting them jump at the reception desk for treats.
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Amanda Tattersall Receptionist
Amanda joined the Practice in October 2018 as part-time receptionist.
She enjoys spending time with her family, keeping fit and healthy and walking her 3 dogs.
Job Titles:
- Co - Ordinator
- Andrea Mckinnon Farm Co - Ordinator
- Farm Co - Ordinator
Andrea used to work for us when we were known as Stramongate Vets. There, she qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1992. Many moons ago! She made the difficult decision to leave us to look after her children, she has five boys. Now three of them have flown the coop she has joined us again as one of our receptionists and is loving being back.
Andrea and family have recently adopted a three year old greyhound called Basil and a lot of their spare time is spent taking him for walks with their Cavalier, Jack. Several cats complete the family, oh and one husband. Andrea loves to read anything and everything and is currently studying for a degree in History.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Anne Bowness RVN Head Nurse at Kendal
- Head Nurse at Kendal
Anne is the head nurse at Kendal. She is the longest serving member of the practice and joined Chadwick and Owen, as it was then, in January 1979.
Outside of work she enjoys walking, and showing her cairn terriers, going to concerts and out with friends.
Job Titles:
- Ben Harvey BVM BVS MRCVS Clinic Director & Veterinary Surgeon
- Clinic Director & Veterinary Surgeon
Ben graduated from Nottingham in 2015 and went straight into farm animal practice in south west Wales. After three years Ben went to see life on the other side of the fence by managing a herd of Holstein Friesians. Following a calving season in New Zealand Ben joined Westmorland Veterinary Group in the spring of 2020. Ben's main interests are transition cow management, mastitis prevention and dynamic parlour testing.
Outside of work, Ben can be found on a cricket pitch, in his garage woodworking or cooking and looking after his cat, Bob.
Bethany graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2018. Having developed a keen interest in farm practice whilst at vet school a move home to North Lincolnshire after university wasn't on the cards. Beth was instead, despite the extra rain, drawn to Cumbria with its abundance of farm animals and beautiful scenery.
Job Titles:
- AFHEA MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon
- Veterinary Surgeon
Cara qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2010 and after graduating undertook an Internship with the Farm Animal Practice at the University of Edinburgh. She then spent time in Wales working as a large animal vet, with a focus on dairy cattle, before returning to her Lancashire roots and working for a local farm animal practice for four years. In 2017 Cara enrolled in the residency programme at the University of Liverpool and helped teach final year veterinary students, whilst working for the farm animal practice and assisted with more in-depth whole herd health investigations. During this time, she enrolled in postgraduate courses including the Diploma in Bovine Reproduction and the European Collage of Bovine Heath Management, which reflect her passion for cattle work.
Cara has a particular interest in bovine reproduction, transition cow management and nutrition and is always keen to help farmers reach their production goals. Cara comes with a great deal of experience from both veterinary education and practice.
Outside of work, she enjoys being in the outdoors and rambling with her Doberman Maddie, as well as keeping fit at the gym, which helps balance her new-found love of mixology!
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Carole Harrison Receptionist
Carole joined the Westmorland Veterinary group in September 2014 as a part time receptionist / administrator.
Carole was born and brought up on a local dairy, beef and sheep farm. She has a passion for horses and dalmation dog. When not at the practice Carole is an animal portrait artist and previously worked as a design director for a number of international clothing brands and subsequently her own business.
Job Titles:
- Cathy Broomfield RVN Registered Veterinary Nurse
- Registered Veterinary Nurse
Cathy joined us in August 2015. She has a lifelong love of animals - her first dog was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and she worked as a teenager in a Boarding and RSPCA Kennels. She now owns a boarding kennels, cattery and canine hydrotherapy pool with her husband. They have 4 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, two rescue cats and a growing flock of chickens.
In her spare time she enjoys showing her dogs at Open and Championship level. She is also Chair of the Westmorland Riding for the Disabled Association and Trustee of the local charity Alice's Escapes. Her greatest achievement to date is climbing to the summit of Kilimanjaro!
Having studied pathology for an extra year at university, she enjoys doing postmortems on farm but enjoys all aspect of the job. Outside of work, Charlotte enjoys paddleboarding, kayaking, open water swimming and she loves musicals. She has a tom cat called Bob and 2 geckos Lenny and Matthew.
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Chloe Bailey Receptionist
Chloe first worked for Westmorland Veterinary Group in 2001 when she qualified as a veterinary nurse. She later moved on to get married and have three children but rejoined the group in 2019 as a Saturday morning receptionist.
Outside work Chloe enjoys walking her 3 Cocker Spaniels and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Chris Beck BVMS MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon
- Veterinary Surgeon
Chris originates from the Lakes, and lived locally until heading off to Glasgow to study veterinary medicine, from where he graduated in 2013. He started his veterinary career working for a mixed practice over in the North East, where he decided that his interest lies firmly in the small animal side of veterinary practice.
Despite the stunning beaches and (slightly!) drier climate, the lure of the Lake District brought Chris back home, where he took a part-time post in the Westmorland small animal team in 2015, and hasn't looked back since - even convincing his wife, Rebecca Barr, to come work here as well!
When he's not at work, Chris has been very patiently renovating his and Becca's house whilst occasionally fitting in some cycling, squash and playing the odd round of golf, though all of these have taken a back seat somewhat since the arrival of his baby daughter, Zoe. Any other spare time is normally taken up juggling parenting responsibilities alongside managing their menagerie of animals - currently two Collies, a Labrador, and a Beagle… who causes more chaos than all the others combined, including Zoe!
Job Titles:
- Ellie Wilson Trainee Veterinary Nurse
- Trainee Veterinary Nurse
- Veterinary Nurse
Having grown up in Kendal, Ellie is now studying her bachelor's degree in veterinary nursing at University Centre Reaseheath. She is really enjoying her placement year and caring for our hospitalised patients.
When not studying she enjoys cuddling with her border terrier, George, painting, paddle boarding going to the gym occasionally.
Emily graduated from the University of Bristol in 2007. She volunteered at a dog neutering charity in Nepal and worked at the RSPCA hospital in Manchester before moving to Cumbria in 2008 to join the Westmorland team, initially in a mixed species role but in more recent years focusing on pets . Emily has completed a general practice postgraduate certificate in Small Animal Medicine and also enjoys surgical cases.
After a short career break when her children were small she has returned to work and is now part time at the Kirkby Lonsdale surgery.
Outside of work she spends her time juggling the commitments of children, sheep, hens and an elderly cat- Max. She also enjoys baking cakes, leisurely walks with friends and once a week practices aerial acrobatics!
Job Titles:
- Practice Manager
- Emma Thomas Practice Manager
Emma started with the practice in 1998 as an admin assistant. She became practice manager in 2007.
Job Titles:
- Gayle Denny RVN Head Nurse at Kirkby
- Head Nurse at Kirkby
Gayle's passion for animals came from growing up on her parents' farm in Lancashire. She started her nurse training in Caerphilly, Wales in 2008 and qualified in 2011. She decided to move back up North with her partner and in 2012 started work at Westmorland. Since then, Gayle has developed a particular interest in canine and feline behaviour.
Gayle spends a lot of her free time participating in a variety of sports including walking, canoeing, climbing and snowboarding. Gayle is the Chair of her local sports and when she can, loves tackling a good challenge. She also enjoys playing drums, making (and eating) cake and going on adventures in her VW camper.
Gerard Winnard heads the small animal team at Westmorland. He grew up near the market town of Settle and both his parents were teachers in Clitheroe.
Growing up they always had lots of pets and he spent time working on local farms and realised from an early age that being a vet was what he really wanted to do.
His dream became a reality when he qualified in 1991 and eventually settled in Kendal when he got a job here at Westmorland. "I feel privileged to be working in such a beautiful area and I am passionate about caring for pets. I strive to provide the kind of service I would want for my own animals and it's great to work with a team who thinks the same way".
Gerard qualified from the Royal College, London in 1991. He worked in Herefordshire and Wiltshire before a brief spell working in New Zealand. He joined the practice in 1999, becoming a director in 2002. His main responsibilities are on the small animal side of the practice. Gerard gained his Certificate in Cardiology in 1998 and runs Lakes Cardiology services with Chris Fellows, another cardiologist, providing a referral service for other veterinary practices in the North West of England.
Gerard is married with three children and has a labrador called Fern. In his spare time he enjoys walking and cycling.
Job Titles:
- Hannah Willison Trainee Veterinary Nurse
- Trainee Veterinary Nurse
- Veterinary Nurse
Outside of working as a trainee Veterinary Nurse, Hannah enjoys milking a local herd of dairy cows alongside pulling pints at the local pub she works at. Hannahs hobbies consist of a variety of sports one of which being hockey; whilst also being a part of her local young farmers group. Other than being busy working, Hannah looks after her black Labrador Mabel and family dog Nell who's a Springador.
Job Titles:
- Sci BVM BVS Veterinary Surgeon
- Veterinary Surgeon
Holly grew up in Kendal and studied at the University of Nottingham, graduating last year (BVMedSci BVM BVS).
Since then she has worked in a mixed practice in Kirkby Stephen, and this has given her a broad skillset across large and small animals. It has been there that she found her passion for small animal practice and made her want to focus on this area. She really enjoys her surgical days and she is looking forward to developing this further at Westmorland.
Outside of work Holly enjoys walking her Labrador Bruce, wild swimming and holidaying in her van conversion.
Job Titles:
- Judith Lee BVMS DBR MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon
- Veterinary Surgeon
Judith qualified from Glasgow Vet School in 1986. She was tempted across the border by the scenery and abundance of dairy cows and started work in Kendal in 1989. She gained her Diploma in Bovine Reproduction in 1994. After a seven year sojourn at a practice in Lancashire she rejoined the Westmorland flock in 2003, working from Kirkby Lonsdale with involvement in both large and small animal work.
Outside work she is kept busy by her husband (a dairy farmer), her 2 children, her dogs and now (to her surprise) by her prize winning Hampshire down sheep!
Originally from Yorkshire, I recently graduated from RVC in 2022, where I knew I wanted to get to work straight away as a farm vet. I am interested in all areas of farm work, but have a special interest in sheep medicine.
Job Titles:
- Katie Lord BVM BVS MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon
- Veterinary Surgeon
Katie graduated from University of Nottingham in 2022 and started working at Westmorland Vets soon after having moved up to Cumbria from the West Midlands. Katie has a keen interest in all areas of general practice, especially surgery and imaging.
In her spare time Katie is a keen fell runner and enjoys being outdoors, whether that be cycling, climbing or swimming. She currently has no pets of her own but is sure that will change very soon!
Job Titles:
- Liz Pilgrim RVN Registered Veterinary Nurse
- Registered Veterinary Nurse
- Veterinary Nurse
Liz has been a veterinary nurse since 1995 after qualifying from Myerscough College. She has worked at Westmorland Veterinary Group since 2003. Liz feels very lucky to enjoy her job. She loves the variety of cases she deals with on a day to day basis and the challenge and satisfaction of making a difference, getting a very sick animal better.
At home she has a rescue cat called Daisy and two dogs, Gracie and Meg and she also has a horse called Finley. Liz enjoys trail running and is a member of Helm Hill Running Club and has done the Great North Run twice.
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Lydia Wallbank Receptionist
She's originally from Preston but moved up to the area when she got married. She love's going on adventures with her husband and Connie their border collie.
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Megan Sullivan MNAVP Receptionist
Megan joined Westmorland Vets in August 2018 as part of the reception team.
In February 2021 she qualified as a Veterinary Physiotherapist and completed her Masters in Veterinary Physiotherapy at Harper Adams University in Shropshire in 2023.
In March 2021, Megan Sullivan Veterinary Physiotherapy was launched treating horses and dogs in the Cumbria and Lancashire region.
In her spare time Megan enjoys riding her horse Charlie, running, and spending time with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Molly Martin Receptionist
Molly lives locally to the area at Chapel-Le-Dale. In her spare time she enjoys climbing, mountain walking, and recently completed the Yorkshire and National three peaks and, adventuring with her two dogs, Humphrey and Benjamin. However, her most favourite interest... is food!
Rachel loves everything about her job, from the people she works with, to the clients she meets everyday and of course, all of the lovely animals she gets to treat. She has always loved being a vet and is really proud to work at Westmorland.
When she is not at work she enjoys the outdoors, whether it be walking the dogs, snowboarding in winter or travelling to new places. She also enjoys weight lifting at the gym on the rainier days!
Job Titles:
- Rebecca Beck BVMS MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon - Part Time
- Veterinary Surgeon - Part Time
Becca is married to Chris Beck, and is 'owned' by 2 Collies, a Labrador, 2 moggies and a Beagle called Polly. She enjoys nothing more than exploring the countryside with them in her spare time.
Rebecca graduated from Liverpool in 2004. She has worked in various small animal practices as she's followed her partner's jobs round the country and world. She spent 3 years living and working in New Zealand before heading back to the Northwest. Rebecca enjoys working in general practice and has a special interest in rabbit medicine and surgery.
In her spare time Rebecca enjoys being in the great outdoors in the Lakes and Dales whether climbing, kayaking or fell running/ walking. For rainy days she is happy perfecting her bread-making skills. She currently has two rabbits and her well-loved street moggie, Mooney, who came from her practice in New Zealand.
Rebecca graduated from London in 2006. Eager to return to her roots near Kirkby Lonsdale she started her working life at a mixed practice in Carnforth. In January 2013 she started working with Westmorland Vets, enabling her to pursue her interest in Small Animal Practice. She currently works part time, mainly at the Kendal branch.
Rebecca has two young children. In her free time she is a keen fell walker, she also enjoys running, skiing, reading and more recently knitting.
Job Titles:
- Clinic Director & Veterinary Surgeon
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Sarah Denton Receptionist
Sarah joined the practice as an evening receptionist in June 2021, and enjoys it very much! Animals have always been her passion, and she has had various pets over the years, currently 2 cats- Q and Maze.
In her spare time she likes to bake, walk in the Lakes and go to the theatre, usually to watch something Disney related!
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Trea Udo VN Receptionist
Trea is Dutch and qualified as a veterinary nurse in Holland in 1984. After working for a time with apes and monkeys and in a small animal practice, she moved to England for an adventure! She has worked at several practices as Head Nurse and started with Westmorland Veterinary Group in 2001. Trea works part time at the Kirkby Lonsdale branch, nursing and on reception.
She loves lurchers and has two rescued ones of her own, and one very friendly black cat. Outside work Trea loves writing songs and playing her guitar and saxophone, she also has a diploma in design and basket making.
Job Titles:
- Financial Manager
- Wendy Procter Financial Manager
Wendy has been with the practice since 1991 and she is the Financial Manager at Westmorland Veterinary Group based at the Kendal surgery. She keeps the financial side of the practice running smoothly, keeping accounts, paying bills and doing the wages.
Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family, walking her Goldendoodle Moose and looking after her cat Stitch. Wendy also likes going to plenty of concerts and watching theatre shows.